President Donald Trump is rolling out a new program ahead of the midterm elections offering payments of up to $30,000 for fraud tips that result in a successful prosecution or government enforcement action, according to a White House official.
The $25 million Fraud Whistleblower Incentive Program administered by the Department of Justice marries two efforts that Trump has seized on in his midterm campaign blitz: fighting fraud and distributing government funds directly to Americans. Trump plans to announce the program during an Oct. 20 event at the White House.
Nick Shirley, a conservative influencer who attracted attention for a viral video alleging day care fraud in Minnesota, will receive the first $10,000 fraud whistleblower check, the official
said. A woman featured in Shirley’s video later was charged with fraud.
Trump tapped Vice President JD Vance to lead a new anti-fraud initiative earlier this year. Vance has been traveling the country promoting the effort and accusing Democrat-led states of not doing enough to stop fraud in government programs such as Medicaid, which provides health insurance for lower-income individuals.
Vance announced earlier this month that Microsoft and seven other companies were suspended from a program that allows businesses to seek permanent residency in the United States for foreign workers, accusing them of abusing the system. During the same event, Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito said he is conducting an investigation into "visa fraud" at nine universities.
“Every day, President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud is zeroing in on the rampant abuse of taxpayer dollars and giving Americans the accountability they deserve,” said White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis.
Congressional Republicans have sought to amplify Trump's fraud push. House GOP leaders raised the issue repeatedly as an issue over the summer, with Republicans floating anti-fraud programs as a key aspect of a party-line bill they hoped to pass. The House Oversight and Reform Committee in March grilled Minnesota's governor and attorney general in a heated hearing about the fraud scandal in Minnesota's social services programs.
A sprawling fraud case has ensnared dozens of people in Minnesota, many of them U.S. citizens of Somali descent. Trump has seized on the scandal during his midterm rallies, frequently lashing out at the Somalian American community and tying fraud to his campaign against immigrants.
“They come here with low IQs and no money and they get rich,” Trump said of Somalis at his Oct. 19 rally in Kansas, while also blasting Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, an American citizen who was born in Somalia.
Federal agents searched Omar's home this month as part of an investigation aimed at revoking her citizenship and deporting her.
The focus on fraud comes as Trump and GOP leaders have struggled to sell their economic agenda ahead of an election where polling indicates cost of living is a top concern.
While the president has shrugged off worries about high prices, pointing to steeper inflation under his predecessor and suggesting current inflation levels aren’t that bad, he has looked for ways to send voters government checks.
Trump promised $5,000 to every adult American if Republicans maintain control of Congress. He later announced $500 rebate checks for Americans he said were overcharged for Affordable Care Act health policies, and$90 payments to 21 million seniors.
During a rally in Kansas on Oct. 20, the president announced a new $8 billion program to help farmers offset the cost of diesel fuel, which has risen to a record high as the Iran war has disrupted global energy markets.
There already are programs to compensate fraud whistleblowers. The False Claims Act allows individuals to file civil lawsuits on the government’s behalf against those suspected of fraud and potentially “receive a portion of the government’s recovery,” according to the Justice Department.
Contributing: Christopher Cann
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump offering $30,000 ahead of election for fraud tips that check out
